25 January 2013

The Jesus Agenda: inspiring Christians to seek justice

Rev Nicky Gumbel, founder of Alpha and vicar at Holy Trinity Brompton church in Knightsbridge, has spoken out to promote justice at the heart of the gospel, suggesting that justice goes hand in hand with evangelism and discipleship.

In an interview for The Jesus Agenda, a nine-week course produced by Micah Challenge, Christian Aid and Compassion, Nicky said: "If you read the gospels, justice has a huge part to play. When you look at Jesus' message… it was words and actions. And action includes both looking after the victims of injustice – poverty, homelessness, inequality – but also an attempt to do something about the structures that cause injustice."

The Jesus Agenda aims to inspire Christians to take such action, thereby helping to "end extreme poverty across the world through advocacy and social action". In the DVD resource, Rev Joel Edwards, international director of Micah Challenge and former general director of the Evangelical Alliance, takes viewers on a journey across four continents to explore the ways in which Luke 4 is shaping and challenging individuals, churches and organisations in the modern world.

Commenting on the project, Joel said: "Jesus is concerned about justice and Luke 4 clearly shows that. The global church could have a massive effect if it took up the cause of Christ as He preached and demonstrated in Luke 4… Justice, as much as justification, should be central to our good news to the world."

Through the film and accompanying study guide, the producers explore the key issues relating to this justice and hope to "encourage provocative and energising conversation", rather than providing "explanations" or answers to the problems at hand. The nine-week resource is part of Micah Challenge's wider plan to mobilise Christians to remind world politicians to keep their Millennium Development Goal promises, made in 2000, to halve extreme poverty.